My Thoughts on Technology and Jamaica: How Celebrities Return of the Flip Phones Herald Smaller Smartphones and Smartwatch phones

Friday, December 5, 2014

How Celebrities Return of the Flip Phones Herald Smaller Smartphones and Smartwatch phones

I should have logically seen this coming. Queue the Star Wars Teaser Trailer for Star Wars: Awakening of the Force as this is basically an awakening of the Flip-Phone Force!


Best of all my Luddite camp is getting crowded…..with Celebrities as noted in my blog article entitled “The Reason why I don't like Smartphones - Location Privacy and How to disable Location Services on Android and iOS”.

Celebrities are now opting to go back to flip phones altogether simply because they're not Internet connected as reported in the articleHigh-profile stars find fashion in old-school phone tech”, published December 2, 2014, 9:43 AM, CBS NEWS

Google Logo

This is yet  ANOTHER big fallout from the Apple iCloud incident aka the Fappening aside from people switching to taking pictures with Polaroid Cameras as described in my blog article entitled “Polaroid Comeback as Analog Photography back in Vogue - US Millennials taking Polaroid Pictures as Privacy-loving Fappening Celebrities go Retro”.

Looks like Samsung may have been onto something when they had launched the Galaxy Golden and the Samsung Galaxy Hennessy and then the SM-W2014 in late 20313 as chronicled in my blog article entitled “Samsung launches a third flip Feature smartphone, the SM-W2014 - Quad-Core Processor in yet another oversized smartphone indicates Retro Trend among South Koreans and Chinese”.

Already several Celebrities have been spotted toting these blast-from-the-past cellphones as per the video below, the ONLY one I could find after scouring YouTube.  


Apparently the trend seems to have started when Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour was spotted, Gossip Girl Style, in the wild, three (3) months aback using a flip phone made circa 2003, based on my expertise in AT&T flip phones.

Google Logo

Since she’s a fashion expert, many are bound to follow, as Vogue sets the trend in the Upper East side of Manhattan, apparently. Like ducks following their mother into a pond, the Fashion Police and paparazzi have begun spotting Celebrities in the wild toting these blasts-from-the-past.

Suddenly, just like that, it has become hip to be flip, as pointed out in the New York Magazine article entitled “My Week With a Flip Phone”, published October 29, 2014 12:37 p.m. By Allison P. Davis, The Cut, New York Magazine.

You’re now A-List if you go retro, basically!

Songbird Rihanna has been toting one. Spotted too has been Kate Beckinsale, wielding it in her social circle like a true flip phone Jedi. The Force is indeed strong as yes; I’ve sensed the awakening of the Flip Phone Force.

Google Logo

The reasoning is sound, as 2G Cellphones are not connected to 3G Internet and don’t use app, yet many of them still have fairly good cameras, making them great for taking nude photos and storing them…..or deleting them later.

Other notable personalities have flipped, such as the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, as per this photo of him using a flip phone. Apparently the Blackberry he usually totes may have been left back at the White House, so he had to make call using this older model flip phone.

Google Logo

New York Senator Chuck Schumer have begin to stockpile them, as they love the simplicity of these flip phones and fear they'll go extinct, echoeing the sentiments of reality star and A-Lister Kim Karsdashian, who reportedly buys them by the boxful on Ebay as reported in the article “Why Kim Kardashian has a stash of BlackBerry phones”, published Tuesday 28 October 2014 13.01 GMT by Samuel Gibbs, The UK Guardian.

To quote New York Senator Chuck Schumer: “Since I like these so much I bought a whole bunch cause I figure they'll stop making them sooner or later. They may have already stopped making them.” Well, he BETTER start stockpiling them real fast.....'cause their increased desire for simplicity, privacy and longer battery life may be steadily pushing up the price of these older phones from yonder 90's!

That is, if this trend lasts longer than a year and isn’t just a flash in the pan!

Return of the Flip phones - The Fappening, ease-of-use reasons for Flip-Phone Force Awakening

Yes folks, the Fappening still has many celebrities shaken up and realizing that the cloud isn't safe. Ditto too the Snappening, which also exposed 200,000 teen Celebrity-wannabees who take nude selfies on Snapchat to the cruel cold world as noted in my blog article entitled “200,000 Naked Teenagers in Snapchat’s Snappening – How Teenagers Private Parts got swiped by Child Pornography Admins in the Thomas Crowne Affair”.

So they're going retro to not only safeguard their privacy but also because they're easier type on and aren't prone to butt dialing as noted in the article “Forget the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy, the humble flip phone is back”, published Friday 5 December 2014 14.19 GMT by Hannah Jane Parkinson, The UK Guardian.

Google Logo

Plus on a personal level, I must admit there is something satisfying about the click noise they make when you flip one out to answer a phone call and the snap-shut clap of the phone when you close its indestructible little shell. It’s a feeling like power in your hands that announces to all around you that you’re someone of importance…..who’s not afraid to buck the tech-savvy trend and stand up and be counted as a Forward-retro thinking Luddite.

And yes, I have to say this as a long-time Luddite and owner of a Nokia flashlight phone that these flip phones have battery lives that last the entire day WITHOUT the need to lug around a charger or a Portable Batter Charges to extend their power-sucking LCD Screen such as those described in my Geezam blog article entitled “How to extend your smartphone’s battery Life with a Portable Battery Charger”.

So will this trend eventually result in flip phones and candy bar phones selling for higher prices and a slow death for phablets as the article “Hold the (oversized retro) phone! Flip and ‘brick’ mobile are making a comeback thanks to popularity among celebrities”, published 5 December 2014 11:25 GMT by VICTORIA WOOLLASTON, Daily Mail UK, suggests?

Flip phone a trend after six months – Herald for smaller smartphones and Smartwatch phones

Not necessarily, but if it continues for longer than six months, a year at most, smartphone makers may have to start rethinking the so-called trend to larger smartphones. Especially in light of the fact that both Kantar WorldPanel and Consumer Intelligence Reports stats suggests that the smaller Apple iPhone 6 is more popular than the bigger Apple iPhone 6 Plus as pointed out in my blog article entitled “Kantar Worldpanel Stats say British and Europeans love Apple iPhone 6 - China growing as Consumer Intelligence Report confirms iPhone 6 Plus unnecessary”.

We may start seeing flip phones, buttons and all but with more advanced features such as Bluetooth and NFC (Near Field Communication), enableing them to function as an Electronic Wallet for your Credit Cards. They may even sport higher resolution cameras, GPS, Accelerometer, Magnetometer, improved voice commands, Fingerprint readers.

These smart-flip phones would, however, sacrifice the bloated Apps and larger screen for widgets instead that do the same thing as Apps but with less screen graphics and more human-like interaction.....kinda like a smartwatch such as the US$199 Pebble Steel Smartwatch as reported in my blog article entitled “US$199 for the Pebble Steel smartwatch as Update brings Activity Tracking and Sleep Monitoring”.

Google Logo

Plus on an even brighter note, this trending towards smaller, more power efficient devices suggests that smartwatches such as the Samsung Galaxy Gear S that doubles as a smartwatch, fitness Tracker and a phone on your wrist as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “Samsung’s Galaxy Gear S Smartwatch coming to Jamaica while reppin’ for Tizen” are the future.

In essence, a true smartphone, capable of taking high-resolution photos, and sending them to friend via Bluetooth and NFC, acting like an Electronic Wallet that also doubles as a position locator and compass that you can have a conversation. Throw in the capability of making phone calls and you basically have a new class of device, the flip phone smartphone!

For now, to all Celebrities from  Hollywood, welcome to my Luddite Camp; with this new trend it has now grown not only large, but more influential!



No comments: